


Five Things Owen Harper Remembers and One Thing He'll Never Forget

by scarlettgirl



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Angst, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-28
Updated: 2011-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-15 04:09:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/156912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarlettgirl/pseuds/scarlettgirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Memories are like acid and some deserve to burn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares (Ghost Machine)

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for entire series. This was an experiment to try to work themes throughout a series of stand-alone drabbles.

He woke gasping for breath and struggling against hands that still ghosted his neck.

Lizzie’s neck, he reminded himself.

Climbing out of bed he cast off the twisted sheets and headed into the bathroom. The splash of cool water almost washed away the lingering panic but still his heart raced.

Helpless. That’s what he felt. If there was anything that Owen Harper was not, it was helpless. Not anymore.

Tossing on a shirt and yesterday’s jeans, he walked to the liquor cabinet. The bottle danced on the rim of his glass. Ignoring the tremble and took a deep, grateful sip.


	2. Beat of Life  (Countrycide)

He tapped his fingers against the hood of the Range Rover. Bouncing on the balls of his feet he waited for Tosh and Ianto. Gwen was lying in the back seat, asleep but breathing rapidly. She needed to be assessed in a hospital but she was a tough one, Gwen.

He remembered the feel of her blood, slick on his hands, the slight resistance of her flesh as the needle pressed deep.

He tapped his fingers against the hood of the Range Rover, faster and faster until the blood caked under his fingers was lost in a blur of motion


	3. Soultide (Out of Time)

The silk gently caressed his cheek, still smelling subtly of her scent. But it wasn’t enough to mask the burn of jet fuel that still lingered on the tarmac. He watched as the plane shrank to a poinpoint in the sky, finally winking out of existence.

He felt the pull of the rift, a physical sensation that chipped away at his soul, replacing the yawning gaps with holes so deep and dark they made Hell seem like a summer holiday.

Something was coming and all he wanted was to run and hide. Instead he stood and looked at the sky.


	4. Broken Bridges (Combat)

Owen didn’t turn around as the car roared into the street. He didn’t need this shit. Fucking Gwen Cooper with her tidy little life and tidy little boyfriend. He was tired of being the dirty little secret she reveled in. Bored with the whole thing, really.

He walked faster, his angry strides eating the pavement, fists unconsciously clenched in his pockets.

Rage hummed through his veins, bubbling from his toes reaching and stretching, coursing through his body until his head was singing with it.

It nearly drowned out the ringing voice.

 _I didn’t want her to go, she went._


	5. No Doubt (End of Days)

Time stood still as Owen carefully picked up the gun.

He was tired. He was tired of gaining and losing, he was tired of the rage and the pain and the fucking petty annoyances. Most of all he was sick of being doubted sick of him doubting him sick of Jack _fucking_ Harkness.

The gun exploded in his hand.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Blank, staring eyes, without a flicker of blame or grace. A delicate trail of blood from a ruined face.

As Owen turned away he felt the whispering wings of the albatross as it settled on his shoulder.


	6. Fault Lines and Forgiveness (End of Days)

He felt it before the words were even spoken. It washed over him like a cool spring rain and Owen was helplessly drawn toward the source.

His eyes, so very old, looked through him, examining each and every filthy crevice and still finding something of worth.

Owen could feel the fault lines that mapped his life, held together by swagger and balls, begin to weaken and crack.

“I forgive you.”

As Jack’s arms pulled him close he shattered into a thousand pieces, each one worth less than the next.

“I forgive you,” he whispered.

Owen almost let himself believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally published 2/21/07


End file.
